Trending Now

You are here

Heavy snowfall expected

A winter storm is barreling down on the region, bringing the chance for close to a foot of snow to Auglaize County.

National Weather Service meteorologists have issued a winter storm warning for the county, effective through Wednesday morning.

Auglaize County EMA Director Troy Anderson said nailing down a definitive snowfall prediction is difficult because

there are two fronts coming together, with Auglaize County in the middle.

“We are still in a really tight band,” Anderson said this morning. “We are right on the verge — it could be 5 to 6 inches and if this things swings one way, then the whole county could see 6 to 9 inches and more.”

Wapakoneta Public Works Department crews have already sprayed the streets with brine to help keep them clear in anticipation of the snow storm. They are on stand-by to plow snow when the storm hits.

A front moving in from the south is expected to bring a lot of moisture to the region. That system is the main culprit behind some of the higher amounts of snow the county could see today, Anderson said.

“It’s a matter of when it comes and how it shifts,” Anderson said. “We are right on that edge.”

With the storm expected to affect afternoon commutes, Anderson encouraged motorists to drive safely while on county roads. Bridges and overpasses tend to freeze first, which could pose unseen risks for motorists.

“You have to drive defensively with this kind of weather,” Anderson said. “We could see snowfalls of an inch an hour, with that type of snowfall and winds at 20 to 25 mph, visibility could become an issue.”

If snowfall total reach toward the higher end of predictions, the county could experience flooding. Once the storm leaves the region, temperatures are expected to reach the mid to upper 40s this weekend.

“With the previous rain we had and the snowfall last night, the water table is pretty high,” Anderson said. “With all this moisture and temperatures in the 40s the rest of the week, we could start to get some calls about localized flooding. If we get those large numbers, that could cause us some problems.”

Anderson encouraged residents to post snowfall amounts on the county EMA’s Facebook page.